Flush valve



April 18, 1950 R. H. LOETHER 2,504,555

FLUSH VALVE Filed Feb. 26, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 2

. INVENTOR.

April 18, 1950 R. H. LOETHER 2,504,555

FLUSH VALVE Filed Feb. 26, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

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Patented Apr. 18, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT O FFICE' 2,504,555 FLUSH VALVE: Raymond fii Iloether, Pittsburgh,- Pat Applitatitn February- 26, 1948, Serial No. 11,172

4 Claims:

This invention: relates t'o newand useful i'm provements in flush valves for water closets-and it-is'among the objects-thereon to-prov'ide a flush valve structure that is self-aligning and centers withthe: tank outletwh'en the valve: is released;

It is a further: object or'the: invention- 1:0 provide a flush valve consti uction employing a centerplumb' bobon weight which is movable 'relative to the rubber-ball valve without interferingwith the floating action of the latter to permit complete-escapement' of the water flowing from the tank.

These and other objects ofthe invention will become more apparent from a considerationof the accompanying drawings constituting a part hereof, in which'lik'e reference characters designate like parts, and in which Fig. 1 isa-vertical cross-sectional viewtaken longitudinally of a water closetflush tank embodying the-principles of thisinvention;

Fig. 2- a similar view partially in elevation showing the-:flush valve in amunseated position;

Fig. 3 a view as in Fig. 2 illustrating the position of the valve with a reduced water level in the tarik j;

Fig. 4 an enlarged. detail of the=iinprovedlflush valve and plumb-bob embodying the principles of this invention; and

Fig. 5 a top plan view of the flush valve taken along the line 5-5, Fig. 4.

In the drawing numeral l designates a Water closet tank having a water inlet connection 2 and an outlet connection 3, the latter communicating with the toilet. Numeral 4 designates the valve line leading to a valve 5 controlled through a system of levers 6 by the float ball 1. Numeral 8 designates the water inlet pipe to the tank and the numeral 9 designates the overflow pipe which determines the level of the water at the top It thereof. Mounted on the overflow pipe is a bracket H for guiding a valve rod I2 which is provided with the usual eye l3 and interacts with a link l4 of an actuating lever that is manipulated by the handle l6, Fig. 2, in the conventional manner to lift the rubber valve I! from its seat Is at the outlet 3 of the tank. The tank construction, the inlet water control valve, overflow pipe and operating levers may be of standard construction and constitute no part of the present invention.

The invention deals with the construction of the flush valve 11 which, as is more clearly shown in Fig. 2, is open at the bottom at l9 whereas in the conventional form the valve rod I2 is fastened tetherubhe'r valve-ll by a threaded connection in thethroatorneck 25! of the valve;

In accord'ancewith the present invention the valve rod: i2 is'notflxed to'the valve l'l-but ex tion'alx weight; such as washers, can be: placed if desired; The plumbbob 22 is of conical shape" a-ri'd centers itselfimthe valve ll at the: opening 19': As-shown 'inFig. 4, the rubber valvel'l-is provided with a: ferrule 2 5 having: an 1 opening 21 oi'suflicierit clearance topermit free slidingimove merit of'va'lve Won the valve rod l 2.-

The" functionof theweighted valve-:rod' or plumb-bob '22 is as follows. Asshow'n in Fig; 1,; the flush valve: Hz is 1 in "seated position; in, which position the plumb-bob 22 rests in theo pening:

iSrbeing:centered therewithwhen the-handle l6 of thefiush valveisreleased. As shown in'Fig; 2;. 1 the handle l't has"beentrippedraising lever l5- anrl its connectedlink I 4 which lifts the va'lverod Ii -until the plumb=bob 22 engages .theundersi'de of the valve, and further movement of the lever I 5 will unseat the valve H as shown. The water of the tank then escapes through the outlet 3 into the toilet bowl with the valve l1 gradually dropping with the level of the water in the tank as shown in Fig. 3. Handle I6 is in the released position as shown in Fig. 3, in which position the lever 35 has dropped but the valve rod I2 is retained in the raised position of Fig. 2 by virtue of the rubber flush valve l1 floating at the level of the water. The plumb-bob 22 has dropped a short distance to seat in the opening H) of the flush valve and because of the clearance of the opening 2| with the valve rod I 2, the flush valve I? is centered by engagement of the plumb-bob 22 with the bottom opening I9. As the water level drops to the point where the flush valve ll no longer floats, it will drop to the seating position of Fig. 1, the weight of the plumb-bob centering the flush valve I"! on the seat l8. The flush valve is thus set for the next flushing operation.

It is found by the use of the relatively movable flush valve l1 and plumb-bob 22 that the latter will center the flush valve on the seat l8 and also align it properly before engaging the seat [5.

Without the use of the plumb-bob 22 and with the flush valve I l fastened to the valve rod l2 in the conventional type of flush valve construction, the valve becomes misaligned with the seat 18 and will not always seat on the same face. This results in wear of the valve and leaking of the passage that is so annoying in the operation of flush tanks. It is found that by the use of the plumb-bob and the sliding action of the flush valve on the valve rod I2, this difliculty is entirely eliminated because the valve is at all times maintained in proper alignment and centered when lowered on its seat.

Although one embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described it will be evident to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in the details of construction without departing from the principles herein set forth. w

I claim:

1. A flush valve for water closets comprising a rod adapted for sliding movement in a guide bracket; said rod having a weight at its lower end to maintain the same in vertical alignment, a flush valve of resilient material slidably mounted on said rod having an opening at the bottom thereof of a dimension less than the cross sectional area of the valve rod weight, the said weight being disposed inside of the flush valve for engaging the upper wall of the valve when the valve rod is raised and for seating on the bottom valve opening when the valve rod is lowered.

2. A flush valve comprising in combination a hollow rubber bulb-shaped body having a valve rod slidably mounted therein and having a bottom opening, said valve rod extending through the upper wall of the bulb and being freely slidable therein, and a Weight secured to the end of the rod inside of the bulb, said weight being of a cross sectional area greater than the bottom opening of the bulb and being adapted to seat in said opening to pilot the bulb in its lowering movement.

3. In a water closet flush tank having an overflow opening at the bottom thereof, a flush valve controlling the flow of water through said opening, said valve comprising a hollow rubber bulbshaped member having an opening at the bottom thereof, a valve rod mounted in said tank extending through an opening of the flush valve and having a weight secured at the lower end thereof, said rod being adapted to be actuated to raise said valve, and said weight being disposed inside of said bulb and being of a size to rest upon the bottom opening of the valve, the valve being freely slidable on said rod whereby upon lifting of the valve rod the weight will engage the valve and-raise it from its seat, and upon the release of the valve rod the said weight will fall to a resting position in the bottom opening of the valveto pilot the valve in its downward movement;

4. In a flush valve for water closets, a valve rod suspended in a water tank and being connected to be actuated by movement in an axial direction vertically in said tank, the said rod having'a cone-shaped weight in the lower end thereof, a flush valve comprising a hollow bulb-shaped rubbenmember slidably mounted on the valve rod and having a bottom opening of a dimension less than the diameter of the conical weight whereby upon lifting of the valve rod the weight engages the upper Wall of the valve to unseat the same and when released the weight drops and engages the opening in the lower wall of the valve to bring the seat of the valve in alignment with the seat of an outlet in said tank.

RAYMOND H. LOETHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 451,344 Taylor Apr. 28, 1891 1,586,193 Gove May 25, 1926 2,068,158 Theisen Jan. 19, 1937 2,228,811 Beutin Jan. 14, 1941 2,230,613 Deady Feb. 4, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 99,576 Sweden Aug. 6, 1940 

